#22 The Manriki

Tough under pressure

Proper villains need a visually inventive appeal and Manriki provided just that in the early arcs of the Kinnikuman storylines. Derived from manriki-gusari a traditional Japanese chain weapon, his design incorporates crushing iron restraints. Making this antagonist appear like a literal torture device to challenging foes.

Serving as a dangerous obstacle meant to test the resilience and creativity of heroic wrestlers the Yudetemago creators provide a truly menacing figure. With a signature Clamp Attack used to ensnare and squeeze opponents with tremendous crushing power.

Using brute force grappling as his primary strength is perfectly suited to his iron bound theme of character. When Mattel brought the original Kinnikuman character to the American markets as M.U.S.C.L.E. #22 his clamp like physique was appreciated by most yet his story stayed in Japan.

The rigid posture Manriki displayed in his mechanical humanoid presence was signature to his character. The exaggerated details were a common trait in much of the Kinnikuman universe lore but the figure itself was a favorite of many whether they knew his story or not.